Bringing you the (almost) everyday comings and goings of the residents of Beckworth, a typical English market town. Informing you about their lives through the mediums of words, images, an interactive map and stereophonic sound recordings

Category Archives: Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

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Hello. Good new for those of us who love large spoons… The UK’s favourite (and only) ladle superstoreis celebrating two years of trading in Beckworth this week with a massive stock clearance sale. That’s right, Len’s Ladle Superstore is clearing the shelves of some of it’s underperforming ladle lines. Recently retired dance teacher and store owner/manager Len Goodman has instructed his young assistant Bruno Tonioli to sell off the many badly bent and rusting items, so grab yourselves a large-spoon like bargain (whilst stocks last)… As Len often regales regulars down the pub “A house isn’t a home without a ladle. Or two.” Yours sincerely Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce.

(Above) Just one of the lovely ladles available (at full price) in store today

Hello all. Many of you have recently emailed and sent postcards asking if Beckworth will once again be hosting the International Wheelbarrow (And Garden Sprinkler) Show. This would have been the 15th year Beckworth had hosted the prestigious show, but unfortunately due to unseemly behaviour by some of the exhibitors last year the show will now take place at Birmingham’s NEC. We are working very hard and “oiling the wheels” to try to win the show back next year. So keep your fingers crossed. Yours sincerely, Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

Good early afternoon to you all. I’m sure I speak for us all when I send my heartfelt congratulations to Sir Donald Trump, who has won a landslide victory to become the next (and probably most successful) President of The USA. And he did it in defiance of the biased Clinton owned US media who tried to paint him as a racist loon. But he humbly went out and won all of the US voters hearts, and all the World’s to, who saw he was a genuinely talented honest rich man. What a splendid year we are having, first Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, then we have Brexit and now we’ll have a real deal-maker and peace keeper in the White House. On a personal note I hope to meet Sir Donny, as he likes his staff to call him, when he opens his first UK shop here in Beckworth. Planning-permission must surely now be given for him to build a branch of his successful equestrian equipment and hair-piece superstore, Stirrups & Syrups, in the grounds of Beckworth Castle. Congratulations to the USA for voting the right way. Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

PS I’ve heard on the grapevine that Mr Trump has informally promised to invite “hair styling expert” Prof Brian Cox to the Oval Office to give him hairstyle advice

(Above) A jubilant President Trump celebrates his win with a “new” hair style

Good midday to you all. I’m sure I speak for us all when I say the whole of Beckworth is apoplectic with rage over the announcement that this Government has turned-tail and given HeathrowAirport the go ahead for expansion. After saying it never would… Why was it not our airport? I hear you ask in unison. You may remember that earlier this year, or was it last, we were shocked to read an independently biased report (paid for by Heathrow Airport) into the future of London’s airports, which not-surprisingly gave Heathrow the nod. But once the dust had settled and many “sweeteners” had been paid to the “right” people we were given assurances that the town was now the number one choice to become the UK’s biggest airport. And we’d even promised to build a cafe, fake-tudor pub and duty-free shop inside a new terminal… On top of that we offered to lay on twice daily buses to the nearest train station, where passengers could catch delayed, full trains that go quite close to London. But it seems to no avail. We will of course appeal, or at least ask for our “bribes” back. The Beckworth guild have campaigned tirelessly to have an international airport sighted in the brown fields on the edge of the town and we, the “little people,” will not be passed over quietly. So please sign the petition “Beckworth Still Wants A Big Airport. Or At Least A Runway,” which will be on view in many of the town’s shops from today. Or allow yourself to be harassed by a chugger on the high street. Let’s fight together. Yours sincerely, Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

(Above) A local artist’s plans for the proposed Beckworth International Airport as submitted, along with bungs of money, to the Government’s commission

Good mid afternoon to you all. I’m sure I speak for us all when I say we as a town are overjoyed that the next President of The USA, Sir Donald Trump is to planning to open his first UK shop here in Beckworth. Sir Donny, as he likes his staff to call him, has asked for planning-permission to build a branch of his successful equestrian and hair-piece superstore, Stirrups & Syrups, in the grounds of Beckworth Castle. We are hoping the council see fit to allow the plans to go ahead as it will bring about 6 jobs to the town… Yours sincerely, Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

Good early afternoon to you all. On behalf of the Beckworth trade guild I am delighted to announce that local cleaning company, Nun and Dusted, have beaten off stiff Eastern European competition to win not one but two major contracts this week. And it’s only Tuesday! One is to regularly clean Beckworth’s Chinese owned and built nuclear reactor (with immediate effect following last weekend’s hushed up leak) and the second is to annually spring clean the North Korean owned and run sewage works at Inmanton. The wimple-wearing hygiene operatives are based in the local convent St Mary Of The Broom And Hoover which is run by ex-school caretaker and now top nun, the reverend Mother Glendolina. She has the company staffed exclusively by novice “sisters” who have taken vows of extreme cleanliness and OCD in addition to celibacy, poverty and occasional silence. The reverend Mum Superior told me in a letter “We are delighted that God has awarded us these contracts over the likes of cheap foreign competitors Spit & Polish and Spic and Stan” before adding in red biro “and in the name of the Father, Mother Mary, JC and the Holy Ghost we promise to keep the reactor and sewage treatment plant spotless or may the Lord smite me down with the jawbone of an ox.” Well done to the nuns and good luck with your expanding business. Yours, Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerceand

(Above) An operative from local cleaning company Nun and Dusted in full action

Good evening to you all. The Beckworth trade guild are delighted to announce that local entrepreneur, and ex-barrow boy made good, Sir Philip “Phil” Green got some well deserved good news in the post today. The local council have at last approved his local housing development of 85 luxury town houses, which will give jobs to a dozen or so local builders. Sir Phil has been pushing to build these “Chelsea Harbour-like” nine story concrete and steel dwellings for the last 2 years, and at last the petty-minded left-wing green-loving commy planning department has seen sense and caved in to his demands. The beautiful gated-community will be built on the picturesque and ancient one-acre of common-land (adjacent to the village pond), known locally as Sir Philip Green’s Green. Plucky Sir Phil, inventor of the green shield stamps, bought the plot from the council for £1 back in 2012 with the proviso he’d mow the grass and never build on it. But clever Lord Green opened up some loop holes so the town can get benefit from an influx of foreign investors who are unlikely to ever live in the buildings, or pay tax. Mr Phil phoned me from his luxury yacht to tell me “After all the trumped-up nonsense about BHS it’s great to get some positive news as i sail around the Med getting an all over tan… As they say every cloud has a silver lining. Or in my case untraceable offshore 24 carat gold.” Well done to Mr Phil, a hero for capitalism. Yours, Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

(Above) The clearly unloved Sir Philip Green’s Green is to be redeveloped at long last

Good evening to you all. The Beckworth trade guild are once again delighted to announce that this coming weekends’ Home Of Ideals exhibition will be opened by Channel 4 treasure, and trendy builder, Kevin McCloud. This is the second time that Beckworth has been honoured with hosting the annual home improvement show and this year it will take place in a marquee borrowed from the WI. Mr Mac will declare the show open at 9am on Saturday morning and ticket price is £35. In a short and badly misspelled text he said is just as excited as he was last year that the show is back “home” in Beckworth. Kev went on to say the town has a special place in his lonely heart as he did his brick-laying and hod-carrying apprenticeship in the town. Yours, Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce

(Above) Channel 4′s in-house builder Kevin McCloud will be opening the Home Of Ideals exhibition this weekend

Hello and happy April 1st. I’m pleased to announce a special Spring offer to residents today. As an incentive to get residents looking their best and have them save fuel, loose weight and exercise more we’re offering free toast and a haircut to anyone who travels by bus today rather than using their car or walking. The offer finishes at midday so hop on board and put a spring in your step. Yours sincerely Mrs April F. Ool. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce.

(Above) An artist’s impression of free toast on a bus (haircut not shown)

Hello. I just thought i’d let you know that the BBC has announced it’s hired local shopkeeper Matt Le Blanc to join their Top Gear televisual programme as a presenter. Mr Blanc, son of chef Raymond and a “resting actor” is of course best known in Beckworth as the owner of the Plonk De Le Blanc off-licence. Like many of our shopkeepers he took a second job, in his case performing bit-parts in television comedies, to get him through the recession and keep his shop open. Mr Matt will be joining the Top Gear next month alongside local mobile-DJ and hair salon owner Chris Evans and Beckworth’s famed blind driving instructor Mr The Stig. Good look to the boys, I hope the money made from their telly programme will help keep their local businesses afloat through these difficult times. Yours sincerely Valerie Saddleworth CBE. Chairlady. The Beckworth Guild of Trade & Commerce.